Lost In Forever
by Isha-No-Aikousha
Summary: The Doctor comes to discover his reality may be torn apart by a war he's already lost once. Includes 8/9/10/Donna/Master, in no discernible pairing.
1. Chapter 1

Lost in Forever

Author's Note: I borrow my playthings, but always return them (to the BBC). Based on what spoilers are available for the Season 5 episode 'Lost in Time'. Some of them may be right, some of them have already been proven wrong but I liked em, so reader beware.

Chapter 1

The Doctor sat perfectly still in his room on board the TARDIS. His hands were folded lightly in his lap, legs crossed. His eyes were closed as he searched for the quiet. It was quite a task, but he'd had some great teachers. Still, for the monkey that the Buddha had taught him existed in the mind of every human there must be a whole city of apes in his mind. He'd spent at least a month trying to outrun them, and he'd very nearly succeeded on Carbanii Prime. Who knew the low ranking bureaucrat he'd saved would start a revolution that would one day send their civilization to the stars? He was supposed to know, but in his overcrowded mind he'd forgotten. Again. And so he had decided to sit.

Quiet. Let it pass. The Doctor took another deep breath. For a moment he could touch it, the peace that came from no thoughts. In the moment he realized what he had, he remembered Donna. He took a breath, preparing to sit though those memories again. _Maybe it's a good thing._

It wasn't though. It was the same image, of her crying and begging him to stop. She knew what he was going to do and he had plowed on through anyway. He could sit through the memory of the rain hiding his tears a thousand times and it didn't bring any closure. He wanted to fight to keep his hearts beating slowly and smoothly, but he knew it went against was he was trying to do. No fighting, no struggling. Sit, observe, and let it slide away. Play it out. He remembered the last time she said goodbye to him, the flippant 'Yeah, see ya' she'd shot him as she chatted with a friend. The memory played again. And again. Over and over, the same scene. Why, he thought. In his mind he paused the memory, giving him a still photograph to examine. He looked closely, and his eyes opened in shock.

"The ring!" He shouted, bounding out of his chair and out the door.

The time rotor of the TARDIS moved slowly, gently whooshing as the Doctor ran in barefoot, suit unbuttoned. He pulled the console screen over and began his search.

"Because it wasn't any ring," He began, all attention on the screen. "That gem was made of a Bezulian composite. That's Time Lord technology, in case you're -"

The Doctor stopped, looked up and sighed. No one to hear him, no one to impress or inspire. But in that moment he realized, he didn't really care.

"I am going to find who gave you that ring." He vowed, glaring at the screen as coordinates flooded the display.

Donna sighed, and jiggled her phone. Still no service. Her mates had invited her out, a bonfire by the ocean cliffs. It really wasn't her sort of thing, as she'd much rather be at a club but her friend Betha had invited her gorgeous brother, Robert. She wasn't going to miss out on that. So she sat on bench by the cliffs, waiting. It was nearly midnight, and her friends had said they'd be there by 9 pm. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to wait. She sighed and sat up.

"No use waiting anymore." She said to herself. She began to walk off when she noticed something glinting in the dirt. She walked closer without thinking. It looked like there had once been a fire here, one of those giant bonfires the college students would set and get completely trashed by. The earth was charred deeply, but still new grass had begun to sprout. None of that really mattered to Donna however, as she reached down to brush off a small object. It was a ring.

"How lucky is that!" She exclaimed, taking a tissue from her purse to wipe it off. "I wonder how much you're worth?"

She held it aloft in the moonlight, examining the strange set of circles that made up the insignia the ring had been stamped with. She sighed. No gem, no money. Still, it was pretty in a way. The moon shone off the silver of the new ring and into the deep gray of her grandmother's ring she wore. Donna, lost in her own thoughts, didn't see how her gray ring began to glow, as if it were gathering the light.

It was then Donna realized she wasn't alone. A man stood behind her that she spun around to meet. He was well dressed in a dark suit and tie, his brown hair cropped short to reveal a thinning hairline. His eyes were small and dark, but his smile was almost infectious.

"You must be Donna Noble." He said, extending his hand. "You have no idea what a pleasure it is to finally meet you."

"D'you know me?" Donna asked, taken aback. Still, the suit looked expensive. Maybe this was another of Betha's brothers?

"We've met, although I doubt you'd remember." He said, hand still extended.

Donna reached out and took his hand. He smiled, and clasped his left hand over hers. As he did so, Donna's vision faded to black.

The Master knelt next to Donna, one hand on her face. His smile didn't meet his narrowed eyes. "I do know half of you, Donna Noble. I know what you are, and now you are mine."

The Doctor balanced precariously as the TARDIS flew, one foot against the console holding him in place as he tied his shoe. He nearly fell off his seat when he went to switch feet. Still, the old ship shuddered and stopped just as he had finished. With a glance to the console to verify the date as he buttoned his suit, he bounded towards the door.

The date was February 25th, 1934. Cardiff, in his opinion, had never looked worse. The stench of industrialism unchecked by environmental concerns for decades left the city ashy and sick. The air was heavy, and the sky was a touch more gray than it should have been. The TARDIS had tucked itself away into an alley, and the Doctor stepped out quickly and merged into the flood of pedestrian traffic on the street. He examined the people walking and riding by, hunting. He felt he'd walked nearly a mile when something caught his eye. Rather, someone.

A well dressed man was talking to a girl by a storefront. The girl wore a simple blue calico dress and white apron stained with a hard day's work. The same blue dress the TARDIS computers had extrapolated Donna's grandmother was wearing the day she came into possession of the Bezulian ring. He couldn't see much of the man save the rich suit he was wearing and a crop of curly brown hair. She was smiling as they chatted, and the Doctor watched with interest as the man took her hand and lead her into an alleyway. Once they were out of sight, the Doctor made his move. He quickly crossed the street and came the alleyway. He peeked around the corner, and felt his hearts stop.

The Doctor had his forehead pressed against the woman's. Both hands were pressed to the sides of her head as he held her. He murmured quietly to her as he moved one hand from her head to his pocket, revealing a large, dark gray ring. "Keep this safe, give it to your granddaughter.", he said softly as he pressed the ring into her hand. "Do you understand?" He asked, releasing her. Her eyes fluttered and she stumbled. The Doctor reached out to steady her.

"Yes," She said softly as if in a trance. "I understand."

"Thank you." The Doctor said, smiling widely. "Now, go tell your husband how lucky you were to find this in a gutter on your way home. Buy a house in London but wait a few years." He extended a thick brown envelope.

" 'course I will. A house... in London." The woman said, as she tucked an envelope the Doctor handed her in the pockets of her apron. Smiling vacantly, she walked out of the alley.

And straight into the Doctor. "Sorry sir, pardon me." She said, barely glancing at him as she walked out. The Doctor barely acknowledged her, but moved into the alleyway staring at the man. For once, he found himself at a loss for words.

The Doctor smiled and examined the man who entered the alleyway. He was tall and slim, with a mass of unruly brown hair. His suit was a simple brown pin-stripe, and his shoes didn't match.

"I appreciate you not interrupting that," The Eighth Doctor began casually, walking closer. "You know how difficult it is to send a temporal note and have someone arrive before you've sent it."

"You." The Tenth Doctor stammered. "How?"

"I believe the more important question is, why?" The Eighth replied. "Still, it's very nice to meet you. Although I'm disappointed to see I've kept up with the pattern of bad hair."

The Tenth Doctor continued to stare at himself, before the Time War had left him broken and alone in the universe, although he unconsciously ran his hand through his hair. Bad hair?

"It's impossible." He said, pulling out his sonic screw driver. "You must be some sort of projection, or psychic fragment. Perhaps a pan-dimensional echo..."

The Eighth Doctor stood calmly for a few minutes and allowed the Doctor to go over him with the sonic. "Perhaps I'm a hallucination and you've gone insane?" He offered helpfully.

"No, you're definitely real." The Tenth murmured. It was then that the Eighth Doctor placed his hands firmly on his counterpart's shoulders and stopped him.

"Nine, nine, nine. May I call you Nine? Seems appropriate, you can call me Eight if you'd like." The curly haired Doctor began cheerfully, although his tone began to darken. "I would not have come here, crossed my own time line, if it were not of the utmost importance. You know that. So what I need you to do is to listen."

"May I say something before you start?"

The Eighth Doctor narrowed his eyes. "It's good to know I'm still incapable of being serious when it's called for. What?"

"I'm not your ninth regeneration, I'm your tenth." The pin stripe Doctor said a little flatly. "Really sorry."

The Eighth Doctor's eyes widened. "And trust me," The Tenth continued, "If you think my hair is bad, wait until you meet your Ninth regeneration. He barely had any at all."


	2. Chapter 2

Lost in Forever

Author's Note: I can't think of anything. R+R!

Chapter 2

Donna woke up, and found herself in a plush chair. The room, or rather auditorium, she was sitting in was dark. There were rows and rows of empty chairs, and the huge movie screen in front of her was blank. She reached for her purse, and was shocked to find it tucked along side her. Both of her mobiles were dead.

"That's impossible." She murmured to herself. She'd fully charged them before leaving for the bonfire.

The bonfire. _Where am I?_

"Popcorn?" Came a voice from the back of the theater, accompanied by a swishing of the doors.

It was the man from the cliffs. He was still wearing the black suit and tie, but he'd loosened the neck a bit. She watched him come down the steps to her row, place the bag between them, and sit down. She smiled nervously. Having woken up from drinking binges in some rather strange places she knew how to handle herself, but this was just weird.

"Now, I brought you here because I wanted to show you something." The man said quietly, as if revealing a dark secret.

Donna felt the impulse to take her purse and smash him with it, but found herself soothed by his voice.

"I know you don't remember the last year. You haven't told anyone else how much it bothers you, but I can see, Donna. I want to show you what happened."

"How can you know, if I don't?"

"Just watch." He said, snapping his fingers. The screen lit up.

"I like what you've done." Remarked the Eighth Doctor.

"Thanks." Said the Tenth. "Although at the risk of sounding repetitive, this was my previous incarnation's design."

"Ah." The Eighth murmured, manipulating the TARDIS's control display. He looked up to find the Tenth Doctor leaning on one of the columns. He was staring intently at the time rotor.

"At what time do you believe we could contact my next regeneration without damaging this time line?"

The Tenth continued to stare. Finally, he spoke. "Right after I traveled to Satellite 5 for the first time, I recall my companion taking a rather long nap. I put down on Tetraval for dinner to wait her out."

"To Tetraval then." Said the Eighth, drawing the previous coordinates from the TARDIS's computer system. He reached out to the console to start the desynchronization process, and found his hand held by the Tenth Doctor.

"If there's one thing I really can't tolerate, it's people not giving me the full story. Well, that and hair dryers disrupting my sonic screw driver. But that aside, you haven't offered a single good explanation as to why to need me, or good old big ears."

The Tenth Doctor removed his hand as the Eighth began to speak, but cut him off.

"The only, the absolutely only reason I've given you my trust is that I can feel who you are. But I don't think my previous regeneration will be so kind about it, and you need to be prepared for that." The Tenth said quietly.

"Have both of you gone insane? Lost your sense of what is and is not yourself?" The Eighth asked incredulously. "There is no reason whatsoever that my next regeneration will refuse to listen to me, and I assure you, I will explain fully what has happened when I can speak to both of you." He took a sharp breath. "And may I remind you, this would be much, much, much easier if there were one of you."

The Tenth Doctor smirked. "With an attitude like that, don't waste your time with Northern boy."

The Eighth stared at his counterpart. Anger flashed, but was quickly subsided with concern.

"Did something go wrong with my ninth regeneration?" He asked quietly.

"Oh, you know, nothing much, just that little Time War." The Tenth replied, voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Then I suppose he will be less than pleased to discover that issue is key to why I am here." The Eighth sighed. "But please tell me, we've lived through wars before. Suffered insurmountable losses, even the loss of Gallifrey before this war with the Daleks. Why did this war cause so much damage?"

"Gallifrey lost in flames, the result of my – rather, our actions?" The Tenth said. "The fabric of space and time irreparably damaged?"

The two Doctors stared at each other in silence.

"I need you to listen, carefully." Said the Eighth. "Gallifrey has not been lost. Not yet."

The Tenth Doctor was slack jawed. He stared at his previous self, barely keeping his composure.

"Now, from my cursory examination of your computer system, your rendezvous coordinates have been locked by your previous incarnation with a biometric seal. We must have him to unlock those, so that we may return to Gallifrey and tell the High Council that your mission, our mission, was a success."

The Tenth Doctor's mind was aflame. "What do you mean, 'mission'?"

"You don't remember, even after being prompted." The Eighth said sadly. "That's more than likely your previous incarnation's doing. In fact, he may have forgotten himself."

"But amnesia doesn't progress through multiple incarnations. You're walking proof." The Tenth said, quickly adding, "No offense."

"Not amnesia, but information specifically locked away." The Eighth said. "And that can easily pass from one regeneration if the previous personality was strong enough."

"Well, my last personality would have been strengthened by unrelenting anger over the war and absorbing the heart of the TARDIS so..." The Tenth trailed off.

From the console the Eighth Doctor looked over his shoulder at the Tenth. "That wasn't very clever of me, was it? I'm sure it was for a good reason."

The Tenth nodded. "Did it for Rose."

"Companion?"

"The best."

The Eighth raised his eyebrows slightly but said nothing, returning his attention to the console. He reached for the dematerialization circuit.

"Do you mind?" He asked politely.

"Not at all," The Tenth said cheerfully, "Assuming you give me – us, the full story when we get there."

"Of course." The Eighth responded as he sent the TARDIS on it's way.

Cardiff was bustling as darkness began to fall. Throngs of people crowded the sidewalks, browsing shops and stopping for drinks. This was Donna's natural habitat, but she felt detached from it now. _It's not my world anymore, _she thought to herself glumly as she walked down to the wharf.

"At least it's still half yours." Came a voice in her head.

_Yeah well half isn't good enough for me mate._ She responded. _So where is this place anyway?_

"Keep following the docks. There is a small tourist shop, a fake front they've set up."

She nodded to herself, quickening her pace.

"Please do try to put on a good show. Convince them."

_Yeah yeah yeah. Chat up the guy, get the necklace. Like a bad spy movie._ She thought with a smirk.

"But with aliens!" The man said cheerfully.

Donna reached out to open the door to the little shop. She paused for a half second, wondering if perhaps she'd gone mad. Still, in a strange way, it made her feel special. She was half-human. No one else. And only she could save the alien trapped in a ring, and defeat the monster that changed her.

"Very Harry Potter." She murmured as she opened the door.

Ianto Jones sat up, hearing the door creek open. Brushing the beads aside, he took half a step before realizing who shared the room with him. He went to speak, but his voice was gone.

"Hello Ianto." Donna smiled. "Is Jack in?"

"Of course," Ianto stammered, attempting to regain his composure. "Please, follow me."

He lead her down through the corridors to the heart of the complex. The rift generator hummed quietly, sending small ripples through the standing water. It was exactly like what she'd seen in the theater. From above, Donna heard a door shut. Standing above her was Jack Harkness, and from all appearances, he seemed less than pleased to see her.

"What is she doing here?" Jack asked, his gaze set on Donna the entire time he descended the stairs.

"She just came right in." Ianto said. "She knew my name, which wasn't at all what I was told to expect."

Jack looked at Donna more intently. "So what's my name?"

"Captain Jack Harkness." Donna responded, smiling. "So would you like to know why I know that, or do you just wanna keep on scowling?"

"Tell me." Jack said simply.

"The Doctor came back. His new companion - " She did her best to fake sad jealousy, "is a telepath. But it was more than that. Her species could actually change a person's DNA with their mind."

"And so he fixed you?"

"He didn't have much to do with it, really. It was the girl. Oh, you would have liked her Jack."

A smirk slowly started to cross Jack's face. "Why's that?"

Donna gestured to her chest. "Three."

"Three?"

She nodded, giggling. "I thought the whole 'midlife crisis' was just for us humans, but oh no."

Jack's smirk became a grin. "Sounds like he's having one."

"So what does that make you now?" Asked Ianto.

Donna turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "Human, for the most part. What's left is there by choice, and it cost me 20 years off my lifespan."

"20 years?" Jack echoed. "Hope it was worth it."

"That's up to you. I can't sit around temping when I've got at least a fourth of the universe up here." She said, pointing to her forehead. "I came Jack, because I'd like a job. With Torchwood."

_How was that?_ She asked.

"Perfect. _Get him up to the office._" Came the response. He sounded restless, excited.

Jack considered only for a second, and extended his hand. "Done. But understand, you sign on with us, we'll take another 20 years, if you're lucky."

"It'll be worth it, I'm sure." Donna smiled, taking his hand and shaking firmly.

Jack's smile froze for an instant. "That's what I keep telling myself." He said quietly.

"Forgive me for interrupting," Said Ianto, "But there is the matter of the required paperwork."

"Bring it up to my office, along with some coffee." Jack said to him, then turned back to Donna. "And you can come up and tell me all about this new companion."

Donna smiled, feeling sinister. _How easy was that?_ She gloated. The voice in her mind must have felt the same way, because she could hear him cackling ever so softly.

She let herself be guided up to the office. She sat down across from Jack, who poured himself a glass of what smelt like whiskey from a carafe on the desk.

"So, give me the scoop. Blond, I'm guessing?"

"Oh yeah," Donna said. "Honestly, it's white. I mean, perfectly white, like snow. But her skin is deep blue, like the color of your coat."

Jack took a slow sip and nodded. "Sounds like quite a catch. She say where she was from?"

"No, although I want to say she mentioned the Orion system. Something with an 'o'". Donna giggled. "Jack, you should have seen her! I mean, she had this dress on, the most gorgeous thing, practically see-through."

Jack smiled. "Total midlife crisis."

There was a pause. Jack twirled his drink. "So why didn't you go with him?" He asked.

"He didn't ask me to, and to be honest, I don't think I would have said yes. I want to use what I've got here, to be a part of something just not someone's companion, you know?"

"Yup." Jack said simply. He was having a very hard time maintaining eye contact with Donna, not because of her blouse but because of her ring. He didn't want to ask about it earlier, but now he knew without a shadow of a doubt she was lying to him and that with the ring equaled trouble. The Doctor would have asked her to come with him, no matter what alien bimbo he'd set his eyes on, Jack was sure of it.

"So what happened, really?" Asked Jack, the mirth gone from his face. He stared deep into Donna's eyes.

"I... I just told you!" Donna protested. _Nuts._ She thought.

"Yeah, you told me what I wanted to hear, and you did a fantastic job." He said. "But now I'd like to know what's really going on, and why you're wearing that." He pointed to the ring.

"What? This?" She faked surprise. "It's just some ring! Picked it up at a shop."

"No, you didn't." Jack said, standing up. "When you feel like telling me the truth, let me know. For now, enjoy the holding cells."

Ianto entered, not with paperwork and coffee, but with a set of handcuffs and hobbles. He smiled weakly.

"I'd really rather not, so if you'd just come with me..." He said.

Donna turned back to Jack to find his pistol leveled at her head. "I'd suggest you go, unless you have something truthful to say."

Within the rage of emotions Donna was experiencing, he found his opening. The human mind was truthfully so simple, and all it took was a little distraction, a little fear, and they were putty in your hands. The perfect weapons.

Jack's world slowed down into a frame by frame review as Donna swiftly knocked the weapon to the floor. She stood up and seemed to take her time with Ianto, who was diving for the weapon. Grabbing the back of his suit, she flung him into the filling cabinets that lined the wall. He crumpled to the floor, motionless. Jack reached for the gun, but found Donna's knee instead. It caught him in the jaw, and sent him backwards into the couch. Stunned, he pushed himself up to find his own weapon pointed at him. Strangely, or perhaps because he'd been shot so many times, he found himself focusing not on the gun, but on Donna's eyes. They were completely black, reflecting nothing. She was grinning ear to ear.

She brought her lips to his ear, keeping the gun trained on him the entire time. "I'd really rather not..." She said, mocking Ianto's accent.

"Then don't." Jack said, eyes on the barrel.

"Oh who am I kidding? I'd absolutely love to." She said wickedly as she pulled the trigger.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Author's Note – *facepalm to linebreaks* That is entirely embarrassing.

The TARDIS flew smoothly, and the console room was silent. The Doctor sat by the console, his trainers up on the controls. His fingers were interlaced behind his head as he watched his counterpart with interest. He'd spent the entire flight researching the TARDIS's records. Occasionally he'd laugh quietly to himself, which the Doctor found disconcerting.

The cloister bell began to ring. The Doctor stood up, unconcerned.

"It's just a warning that we're close to breaching my time line."

The other shook his head, and pushed the display over. "Unfortunately not."

The Doctor squinted at the screen. "It's can't be." He murmured, tapping the display. The ship shuddered violently, throwing him on the controls. He grabbed franticly at the controls and kept from falling to the floor as the TARDIS shook again. He looked up to find the 8th Doctor standing calmly by him, manipulating the controls.

"Not as graceful as she once was." Said the 8th as he walked around the console, stopping to briefly adjust the thermal regulator. The ship quieted, yet the bell continued to ring.

The Doctor glanced at the display again, then to the 8th. "What do you think you're doing?"

"If the TARDIS finds this rift so important, so should I. You. We." He sighed. "How awkward."

"Whatever disaster Jack has caused now isn't as important as finding..."

"Clearly."

The 10th Doctor stared at his counterpart. "Then turn the TARDIS around!" He said angrily.

The 8th Doctor tapped another control, and returned the 10th's glare with a calm, steady gaze. "While you have spent your time with friends and adventure, the last years of my life have been spent in battle, in blood, and in solitude."

The 10th moved to speak, but was cut off.

"Everything I worked to restore I have seen destroyed a thousand times over by observing the splinters in time. Out of the horrors the only thing I saw that offered a glimpse of hope, of life, was this reality. If you have any understanding, any empathy, you will allow me to -" The 8th Doctor sighed deeply, and stepped away from the console.

"I apologize. Please, do as you will." He said quietly. His eyes were fixed on the floor.

The 10th slowly walked up, and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"I understand." The 10th said softly, removing his hand.

There was a pause, and the cloister bell chimed again.

"Thank you." Said the 8th, extending his hand.

The Doctor took his and shook, smiling. "I'm very welcome."

* * *

Donna had once before experienced being a passenger in her own mind. It was at a bar, and she had so much to drink she'd found herself sitting with a man 40 years her senior. She'd watched with horror as she drunkenly hit on him, absolutely disgusted with herself. It was one of her mates that'd saved her, dragging her out of the bar and back to her flat.

She really didn't believe anyone was going to save her now.

Her hands were deftly connecting wires to her rings. The wires lead up to the rift generator, in which an amulet had been placed. It sparkled, not with light, but with the energy. At her feet lay Jack. She wished she could shut her eyes, but the more she reacted the longer her eyes lingered on him. He was dead, eyes staring up blankly. Wires pushed their way through the flesh in his neck and arms.

He was dead, and she had killed him.

"Almost finished." Donna said, walking to one of the computer systems. "One more touch, and you'll have your body back. And so will I."

_Stop. Please, stop. _She pleaded.

"Stop? Haven't I show you enough? These people are your enemies, Donna. They stole your memory, took your life." Donna smiled. "Don't you want your revenge?"

_No, not like this! _She screamed.

"Too bad." Donna said, typing quickly. She slapped the keyboard one last time victoriously.

"Ready!" She grinned, running back to the rift generator. She watched her hands take more wires, push them through her skin. She knew it should hurt, but felt nothing. Black, red, and yellow snaked up her arms, through her neck.

Her eyes were fixed on a distant computer display. From below she heard a gasp.

_Jack?_ She said, wishing desperately to look down. Maybe, through some miracle, he wasn't dead.

Donna sighed. Her eyes never left the console, but her foot stomped firmly down. She heard a sick, crunching sound. Her vision shifted down, just for a second. Jack looked up at her, eyes large and angry. Blood trickled from where the heel of her boot had sunk through his neck. His mouth moved, but no sound came out.

"Shhh." Whispered Donna, finger to her smiling lips. "I'll be finished with you soon."

Her eyes returned to the display. The ground began to vibrate, then shake.

"Complete rift reintegration in three seconds." Came a computerized voice. It echoed, stretched and became garbled as energy from the rift began to saturate the air. It crackled through the wires, flowed through the rings and finally to the necklace which glowed so brightly it seemed that it would burn a hole through reality itself. Jack screamed, and the noise seemed so far away Donna hardly noticed. In her mind, the burning glowing white severed her vision and her senses. She was completely alone in the light, in silence.

At her feet was the body of the man from the theater. She knelt down, and looked into his face. He was completely still. Glancing down to his chest, Donna saw no movement. A hand over his mouth revealed no breath.

Donna covered her mouth. Another dead.

"Did I kill again?" She whispered, putting her hand on the man's chest.

The jolt that ran through her arm caused Donna to be thrown backwards. She rolled on her side, cradling her arm. It burned fiercely, the pain worsening. It was as though a branding iron had been drug from her forehead to fingers. For a moment even her consciousness waned, so much so she didn't even notice the shadow over her until it cleared it's throat.

Rolling again, Donna looked up into the smallish face of the man. His eyes were dark and sparkling, his suit crisp. He extended his hand casually, observing her.

Reaching up to take his hand, Donna felt her mind become slow. Her vision narrowed, till all that was left was the man's face. She felt backwards, and he made no effort to catch her. In the second between her head cracking into the floor and her eyes closing, she experienced a thought that was completely alien.

She knew his name, and the realization flooded her with regret.

* * *

The smell of rich, black tea permeated the TARDIS. The Doctors sat cross legged on the floor of the console room. Between them was a bamboo plater containing a bone white tea service.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider?" Asked the 8th.

The 10th smiled as he lifted his tea. "Absolutely not. I'm never going back."

"Not even for a moment?"

"Progress is change." Quipped the 10th in between sips.

"Indeed, progress is change, and change is indicative of time." Said the 8th quickly. "And I'm certain you'd agree, time is cyclical. Everything that has had it's time will come again, hm?"

"You know, I've been to the end of the universe." Whispered the 10th.

"And?" Asked the Doctor, puzzled.

"And even then, the TARDIS didn't go back to that Gothic nightmare." The 10th said, victory in his voice. He took a long sip of tea.

"If I become the sort of man that doesn't believe in proper furniture, who takes his tea on the _floor_, then I might as well stop regenerating!" Laughed the 8th.

"If memory serves, you nearly did."

The Doctor put down his tea, his blue eyes icy. "If you'd care to sling insults, I must decline. Apparently, I'm not that sort of man – yet."

"You should know what sort of man you are." Sniffed the 10th. "And the fact that you don't has me worried, to be honest. Because if you'd really seen this splinter of time, or fragment, or parallel you'd know. You would have known where to find your next regeneration, you wouldn't have bothered with this Bezulium necklace."

The 8th Doctor stood, his arms crossed. He glared down, and found the intensity returned.

"I'd really like an explanation before the TARDIS lands." Said the 10th, his voice low.

"What was it like, when you gave up Rose for the second time?" Asked the Doctor, the new name almost familiar on his lips.

The Doctor felt his hearts tighten. He stood up, and kicked the tray out of his path. Circuits popped and hissed as the liquid started a cascade of shorts. The Doctor stood above the sparks, steam curling around his trainers, as he came inches from himself.

"I never give up." He growled.

"Neither do I."

The Doctor's eyes opened in realization. "Charlie." The 10th said, his voice crestfallen.

"Do you remember where we left her?"

The 10th blinked. "No. No, I don't. Why can't I remember?"

"Because Charlie was special. She knew how to keep us safe. Much too safe, apparently."

"Safe? What do you mean, safe?"

The TARDIS shuddered. "Clearly we must discuss this at a latter time." Said the 8th.

"Oh no. No no no no no, no. There's time before we land for you to answer this – Are you here for Charlie, or for the High Counsel?"

The 8th Doctor grabbed a support beam to keep from being tossed as the ship shuddered again.

"Although they do not know, I am here for both." The simple words were in sharp contrast to his tone and face, both deeply pained. "And now, Doctor, we've reached our destination. Perhaps we can continue at a later date."

"Count on it." Said the 10th, already striding towards the doors.

* * *

The Master stood triumphantly, his head back. He felt the air fill his lungs, felt the blood begin to move in rhythm to his hearts. Electricity flowed through his nerves again, and he smiled. He looked down to the bodies below him. Smoke flowed through the grating and over Jack's body. The wiring had melted under his skin, causing deep burns over his neck and arms. The blood around the puncture wound in his neck was dried and flaking. The Master grinned and turned away.

Donna lay unconscious. While she was burned, she was still breathing.

"Good." He murmured, stepping away to the computer consoles. "And now, to call some transportation."

Humans were so logical, so simple. Even their 'advanced' computers with neural filing systems were controlled by predictable rules. It took only a few keystrokes to subvert them to his will, and start his search. Casually, he browsed the Torchwood archives. He became so absorbed he hardly noticed the unobtrusive 'ding' from the console.

A grin spread over his face. "Yes. Oh, yes." He began tapping away again. A fresh breeze began to blow through the room. The Master breathed in, and paused.

Not fresh air. No, air so old it had no age, smells so forgotten they always smelt new. There came a rasping, grating sound as reality tore and stretched. Below him, the wind became a gale and the noise shook the foundations of the building. The TARDIS materialized below him.

"Now, how to greet you, Doctor?" He asked, reaching below the console. His hands felt the grip of a handgun stowed underneath the keyboard. Pulling it out, he checked the clip. Full. Safety off.

"Really, I'd only need one, but the more the merrier." He said happily, cautiously approaching the TARDIS. Standing at the doors, he would have felt reverence for the machine, if it weren't occupied by _him_. He leveled the gun at the door, at just the right height to put down the skinny, dark eyed Time Lord with one shot. He would open the door, and find the barrel of the gun on his forehead. The thought filled the Master with glee.

Nothing happened.

The Master grew bored. Carefully he took one hand and knocked, swiftly returning it to steady the gun.

Nothing.

He kicked the door, pounded on it. No one answered. The Master growled at the door, kicked it again.

"Have you checked for a spare?"

He whipped around, gun levied at the smiling face of Donna. His eyes narrowed.

"You know, spare key?" She inquired again. The Master was silent. Donna laughed, and moved around him to the door. He followed her through the gun's sights.

Standing on her toes, which was very difficult considering her unfortunate choice of footwear, she felt above the ledge of the door.

"Almost... there!" She grunted triumphantly, turning around to show him a small, blue box. She offered it to him.

He took the box, and lowed the gun. Slowly he opened it, and the grin returned to his face. The silver key sat inside, only slightly tarnished with age. Still, he knew this was not the way it should have been.

His eyes still on Donna, he took the key to the door. He pushed aside the lock cover, and pushed the key in. He closed his eyes, inhaled, and turned. The doors creaked open.

The Master opened his eyes, and swiftly understood. Inside the TARDIS, it was gloomy and dusty. He took one step inside, and everything became clear to him. The luxurious red chair, the phonograph, the alter covered in white wax.

Donna stepped along side him. "So, going to stand there all day?"

"No." Said the Master, stepping to the console. Donna followed, and pulled the bulky display down by it's rope.

"I'm glad you understand Donna."

"Oh yes." She grinned. "I'll shut the doors, you know where you're going yeah?"

"Anywhere. Everywhere." He said, stroking the console.

* * *

The Doctor snapped his fingers as he strode towards the doors, and they flew open just as he stepped out. What he saw shocked him. The whole Torchwood complex looked decimated. Paperwork drifted in the water, and smoke rose from the rift generator beside which a body lay. All of this passed the Doctor's notice however, because the only thing he saw that mattered was the TARDIS sitting not thirty feet from his own.

"My TARDIS! What is it doing there?" Asked a voice behind him.

"And more importantly, who's in it?" Responded the Doctor.

Just then, a shadow came to the open doors of the TARDIS. Feet clad in heels stood at the threshold.

"Donna!" The Doctor cried out, bounding over the grating towards her. He was almost there when he hit a wall. He fell back, stunned. A hand took his, and helped him to his feet. He reached out and touched the air, which was solid.

"Why did you raise the shields? Donna!" He yelled, getting to his feet. He pounded on the shimmering air.

She smiled, and waved to 8th Doctor. Her lips moved, but there was no sound. Behind him, the 8th Doctor nodded, smiled and waved his hand in greeting. The Doctor looked behind him and then back to Donna. Her eyes were clear, sharp... and glowing. Ever so slightly, but it was there.

"It's nice to see you again, Doctor." Came her voice in his mind, matching her lips.

"Donna..." The Doctor whispered. "I'm so sorry."

She smiled at him, and winked. "Don't worry about me. Just remember."

"Remember what?" He asked, hands on the shields.

With that, she backed up, snapped her fingers, and the doors slammed shut.

"Donna! Remember what?" The Doctor yelled, pounding on the shields as the wind picked up. "Donna!"

Within a few seconds, the TARDIS was gone.


End file.
